Vehicle.



PATENTED FEB. 24, 1903.

No. r221,319.

J. P. & T. E. MURDOGK.

VEHICLE. APPLIoATIoN FILED APR. 28; 1902.

N0 MODEL.

'ma Nonms PETERS co.. wnomlmo.. WASHINGTON. n. r:

UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE.

JEANNETTE P. MURDOCK ANDV THOMAS E. MURDOCK, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming'partof Letters Patent No. 721,319, dated February 24, 1903.

Application filed April 28.V 1902.

To cr/ZZ LUZ/'1.01171 it nca/y con/cern.-

Be it known that we, 'JEANNETTE RMUR- Dock and THOMAS E. MURDoCx, citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicles, and particularly to a toy seesaw or teetering vehicle, and has for its object to provide a device of the class described which will possess points of advantage in convenience, simplicity, inexpensiveness, effectiveness, and generalefliciency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described in which the up-and-down or seesawing or teetering movement of the riders will cause the vehi-i cle t0 movef Another object 0f the invention is to provide a device oftheclass described which can be readily taken apart for storage orY transportation and when so taken apart will occupy relatively little space."

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing the top in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed kview of the forward steering connections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the mounting of the top. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the king-pin and connections.

Corresponding 'parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the top or body of our improved vehicle,'which in the form herein shown consists of a iiat substantially rectangular surface haviugopposite curved recesses 2 in its sides, a suitable distance from the rear end, for the legs of theV hindmost rider, and its front end having at each side a substantially quarter-circle 3 for the legs of the foremost rider. The top l also has at a point in front ofthe seat of the hindmost rider a .longitudinal slot 4` for the passage of the rear steering-gear.

5 designates the frame, which in the form herein s hown consists of a rectangular portion and a reduced forward portion. Rising Serial No. 105.036. (No model.)

from the forward portion of the rectangular portion of the frame 5 are standards 6, on top of which a shaft 7 is mounted. In the form shown the standards 6 each consist of two spreading legs 6a, the lower ends of which are secured to the sides of the frame 5 and the upper ends of which are united to form a bearing for one end of the shaft 7. The top 1 is mounted vupon the shaft 7 fora seesaw or teetering movement. As herein shown',a plate 8, provided with depending perforated ears 8, through which the shaft 7 passes, is secured to the bottom of the top A1 in any suitable manner, herein shown as by screws 8" substantially midway the length of such'top 1. A rear axlev 9, having wheels l0 lxedly secured on its ends, is suitablymounted near the rear of the frame 5 and provided interinediate its ends with a crank 9a. A pitman 11 has one end pivotally secured to the bottom of the top 1 in any suitable manner, herein shown as spaced perforated ears 11a, secured to the bottom of the top land between which the end of the pitman 11 is pivoted. The lower end of the pitman 11 is suitably connected with the crank 9a. l

A front axle 12,provided with wheels 1? ,rev olubly mounted about such axle 12, is suitably mounted on the reduced forward portion of the frame 5. A fifth-wheel 14 is interposed between the front axle 12 and the frame 5 and consists, in the form shown, of two disks 14a, secured one to the front axle 12 and the other to the frame 5. A kingbolt l5 extends through the fifth-wheel 14 and axle 12, to the latter'of which it is fixedly secured and is held by a nut 16, screwed on the lower end.

An arm 1.7 has one end rigidly secured on the head of the king-bolt l5 and extends at right angles therefrom. In the form shown the arm 17 has at its end a sleeve 17a, rising therefrom and adapted to receive the reduced upper end of the king-bolt 15 and to be secured thereto, as by a pin, passing through the sleeve 17a and the upper end of the kingbolt 15.

Two shafts 18 have their lower ends rotatably mounted one at the forward end of the frame 5 and the other centrally of the rectangular portion of the frame 5, the latter extending upward through the slot 4. The

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shafts 18 are provided at their upper ends with means of turning the same, herein shown as handles 18, secured at such upper ends at right angles to such shafts 18. Pins 18b extend through the lower ends of the shafts 18 and retain them in their bearings.

Arms 19, similar to the arms 17 and likewise provided at one end with sleeves 19, rising from said arms 19, are rigidly secured by said sleeves 19L upon the lower part of the shafts 18 and extend parallel to the arm 17. Links 2O connect said arms 17 and 19 and have their ends pivotally connected with the outer ends of the arms 17 and 19 by means of studs 20a and pins 20".

Foot-rests 21 are provided at the front and rear of the frame and may consist simply of bars extending across the frame 5 and projecting at each side thereof.

The operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understood and appreciated. The riders take their seats on the top 1, one on each side of the shaft 7-that is, one before and one behind-each with one of the handles 18 before him and their legs resting, respectively, in the quarter-circles 3 and the curved recesses 2 and their feet on the foot-rests 21. Now by alternately riding up and down on the top l-that is, seesawing or teetering-the top 1 is rocked on the shaft 7, which through the pitman 11 turns the crank 9a, and thereby the wheels 10, causing the vehicle to move forward or backward, as desired. At the same time both of the riders can guide the vehicle by means of the handles 18, which turn the shafts 10 and through them move the arms 19, links 20, arms 17, and by means of the latter turn the king-bolt 15 and axle 12. The shaft 7 is detachably secured in its bearings, and by its withdrawal the top 1 is freed from the frame 5. The links 21 have their pivoted ends detachably connected to the ends of the arms 17 and 19, and by releasing them and also releasingl the lower ends of the shafts 18,

which are also detachably secured in the bearings, the shafts 18 can be removed. Now by reversingthe king-bolt 15 by unscrewing the nut 16 the front axle 12 can be removed, and the wheels 10 and 13 having been taken off the whole can be packed in a very small space.

We do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of our invention and improvements. We therefore reserve the right to all such variation and modification as properly fall within the scope of our invention and the terms of the following claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a toy vehicle, the combination with a frame, a fixed rear axle and wheels thereupon, and a pivoted front axle, its wheels, a king-pin and a fifth-wheel, of a seesawing or teetering board arranged to seat two persons, (one in front of the other) standards rising from the frame, a shaft journaled in said standards and carrying the seesawing board, a pitman and crank connection between the board and the rear axle, and means--as arms and links-in connection with the king-pin and with handles within reach of both riders whereby steering may be eifected through the front wheels, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names in the presence of the subscribing wit- DQSSGS.

JEANNETTE P. MURDOCK. THOMAS E. MURDOCK. Witnesses:

HARTWELL P. HEATH, L. DUANE. 

